


Home At Last

by Liritar



Series: Krogan Family Values [5]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Babies!, F/M, M/M, baby krogan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 22:39:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4763639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liritar/pseuds/Liritar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Home at last on Tuchanka, our heroes settle into family life. And wait for eggs to hatch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home At Last

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VeetVoojagig](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeetVoojagig/gifts).



> I'm sorry for the long delay on this one. Health issues contributed to extreme writers' block. Though hearing Mark Meer tell us at Dragon*Con that his favorite squadmates to take when he played were the Krogan revitalized me, lol.
> 
> Also happy birthday tomorrow Veetling!

Wrex stopped in the doorway of the nursery cave, smiling fondly. Shepard was asleep on the floor again, curled up around one of the eggs. He said he chose a different one to cuddle every day, but Wrex had no idea how he told the difference. Probably some maternal thing, he thought with an amused snort. Shepard was going to make a better mother than Bakara.

He moved into the room and gently disentangled his lover from the egg. Shepard never meant to fall asleep, but he always did. Wrex usually gave him about an hour before he checked on him. He wanted to give the man his time with the eggs, but sleeping on the floor wasn’t good for him. Not in his condition. The Crucible had really done a number on his lover. Shepard refused to go into details, but the effects were plain to see: the weakness, the pain, the exhaustion. Normally such a display of frailty would have made the krogan turn away in disgust, but this… it only made him want to protect Shepard more. Which was why he was carrying Shepard back to their room, moving slowly to try to keep from waking him, like he had every day since he’d brought the human home.

He settled Shepard gently on the bed, covering him with blankets. His lover got cold quickly these days. He stood there for a long moment, looking down at him, then moved to tenderly, if awkwardly, rub his back. After a few seconds, he started humming softly. He’d seen humans do that to soothe each other. Shepard’s sleep was often troubled, and it _did_ seem to be helping. His love was visibly relaxing under his touch, settling into the bed, breathing deepening.

Now he could leave him, confident that he’d be asleep for a decent amount of time.

Wrex wandered back out to the main rooms of his dwelling, hovering for a moment to watch Bakara doing whatever female thing she was doing. This was new, having a female and the children around. It was something they were trying, now that the females didn’t have to have their own camps for their protection. He hoped it would lead to a better situation than he’d had, where his father had tried to kill him. He really hoped his children wouldn’t feel the need to kill _him._

Bakara glanced up at him, setting aside the stuff in her hands. Fabric, maybe? Wrex would have had to care to find out more. She had her veil set aside in the comfort of their own home. “Do you need something?”

“Just put Shepard back to bed.” He chuckled roughly. “Watch out, he’s trying to take your job.”

She gave him a look that clearly stated that had barely been funny the _first_ time he’d said it, and was now just growing annoying.

“Heh. But really,” he said, growing serious, “I hope those eggs hatch soon. Sleeping on the floor’s not good for him.”

“I know.” She looked thoughtful. “Perhaps if we encouraged him to take an egg to the bedroom? One of us could carry it for him.”

“Huh.” That was the issue, really. He should have realized. In his weakened state, Shepard could barely support himself, much less carry anything bulky. He nodded shortly. “I’ll take care of it.”

 

Shepard dropped down on the bed, trying not to look as exhausted as he felt. He had _some_ pride left, after all. He didn’t think Bakara was fooled, though. Luckily she didn’t comment. He was just _tired_ of people looking at him like they were waiting for him to get better, to be his old self, running around and getting things done. He didn’t think it was ever going to happen. The Crucible had taken everything he had.

He didn’t want to be a hero anymore. He just wanted to sleep, and wait for the babies to hatch. He deserved this. Rest. Retirement. A family.

He flashed a smile up at Bakara as she set the egg she carried down next to him. She hesitated with one hand on the shell, as if she was reluctant to let it go. He looked up at the woman, frowning in concern. “Bakara? Is something wrong?”

“I don’t want to hope too much,” she said softly, closing her eyes. “I… I know we’re cured, but… I would die if these were stillborn again. It’s too much.”

Shepard reached out, wrapping his arms around her as much as he could. “I won’t let that happen,” he murmured. Apparently being the hero was something he _couldn’t_ give up, he thought wryly. But he couldn’t let his sister suffer like this. Inwardly, silently. “Bakara.” He pressed his cheek to her hard shoulder. “Our family’s going to be okay. I promise you.” He put his hand on the shell next to hers. “I can feel them, in there. I know they’re listening. They’re alive.”

Bakara was silent for a moment, her fingers twitching slightly. “You’re right,” she murmured. “I was… frightened to try. But… this one has life. A soul.” She opened her eyes to meet his gaze. “It won’t be much longer, now.”

He chuckled wryly. “I hope not. Waiting’s driving me crazy.”

“I did all the work, you know,” she answered with dry humor.

“I know,” Shepard said, looking up at her seriously. “And I love you for it, sister.”

Bakara smiled, then hugged him gently. “This family wouldn’t be complete without you, brother. Rest well.” She pulled away and strode from the room.

Shepard lay back, the egg cradled against his side, and began to talk in a soft voice, telling it tales of his life, adventures on the Normandy… And moments when Wrex had been ridiculous.

Gradually, the sound of his voice faded to silence as he was drawn into slumber without knowing it was happening.

 

Wrex looked up as Bakara stepped out of the nursery cave. Her eyes were alight with fierce joy. “Get Shepard. Now.” She didn’t wait for an answer before ducking back into the room.

Not that an explanation was needed. Wrex was on his feet and pounding up the stairs as soon as the words left her lips. “Shepard!” he bellowed.

He found his lover propped on one elbow and blinking blearily. “Wrex? What…?”

He didn’t wait for him to fully awaken. He just scooped the groggy human up in his arms and turned to run back down to Bakara. Shepard’s arms slid around his neck and the human nuzzled sleepily against him. He smiled as tenderly as a krogan could, love warming every corner of his soul. He charged down the stairs with his precious burden. “Did we miss anything?” he bellowed as he ducked into the nursery cave.

“Be quiet, you great fool,” Bakara grumbled from where she was kneeling beside the eggs, a few of which were rocking violently. All of them were at least trebling slightly.

Shepard’s eyes widened. “Put me down, oh my god it’s happening!”

Wrex snorted in laughter. Shepard was as excited as a pyjak with a tub of stolen food. He was—and Wrex was embarrassed to even _think_ the word—adorable. “Hold on,” he murmured, shifting Shepard to one arm and dragging a chair closer. “You’re not sitting on the floor, pyjak.” He gently set the man down and rested a hand on his shoulder. While his lover’s attention was on the eggs, Wrex’s was all on him. He hadn’t seen him this involved with the world around him in a long, long time.

There was a loud crack, echoing around the chamber. Shepard would have been out of the chair in an instant if Wrex hadn’t put more pressure on his shoulder. “Stay,” he growled, then strolled to the broken egg. After a glance at Bakara, he picked up the wiggling baby and looked it over. “It’s a girl,” he said, setting her in Shepard’s lap. “What do you want to name her?”

The human’s arms slid around her, his eyes full of stunned wonder. “She’s beautiful,” he whispered. After a moment, he blinked up at Wrex. “A name? Me?”

The krogan snorted. “We have ten of the things. Of course you can name a few.” He slid his hand over the fuzz dusting his lover’s head. Mammals and their hair.

“Look at you,” Shepard murmured, holding the baby gently. “You’re going to be a beautiful, bad-ass lady. And… And your name is Ashley,” he continued, a tear forming in his eye.

Wrex nodded in slow approval. He’d liked Williams. She was tough. A worthy name for a krogan female.

After that, the eggs started splitting swiftly, two or three at a time. There wasn’t space on Shepard’s lap for him to cuddle them all, but each one received a kiss before Bakara put them to bed. David. Mordin. Akona. Tayth. Jax. Kantig. Olarta. Garvant. Hannah.

Eventually the last child was pried from Shepard’s grasp. “We should get out of the way while Bakara feeds them,” Wrex muttered, handing Hannah to her mother.

Bakara snorted. “Funny, Wrex. You’re helping.” She shoved a large bowl of charred meat into his hands. “No, Shepard,” she said sharply, and the man’s mouth snapped shut. “They’ll tear your fingers off.”

By the time the two of them had stuffed the younglings full of meat and gotten them tucked down to nap, Shepard was also dozing in his chair. Wrex let out a soft huff of fond amusement. What was he going to do with the man? Well, obviously, what he’d been doing. Taking care of him. Taking care of all of them. His family.

He gently scooped the man up and carried him to bed. Like he would every time he fell asleep somewhere else in their caves. He kissed his forehead after he lay him down. “Sleep, Shepard,” he said in a low rumble. “You’re safe here.”

And then he was gone, to watch over their new children. To make sure his family stayed safe.


End file.
